Pappy Lessons
by Vol lady
Summary: It's 1857. Audra has just been born, early, while Tom is away on a business trip. Fourteen-year-old Jarrod is left to be surrogate father – and to deal with news that while Tom was heading home, his train derailed.
1. Chapter 1

Pappy Lessons

Chapter 1

Three days later, and Victoria Barkley was still exhausted, and still in bed. Having a third baby ten years after having her second was not what she expected. Jarrod, her first, had been a little tough but that was mostly circumstance – Jarrod coming early, Tom being away when her labor hit, trying to make it to the doctor but only making it to the Miles ranch, the actual birth long and hard. Nick, her second, came just as she realized she should have expected given the boy he was growing into – fast and impatient to get the show on the road. Victoria had expected her third, this brand new little girl, to be somewhere in between, but the delivery had been very, very hard on Victoria. She was older and again, Audra was early and Tom was away. Her labor had been longer than with Jarrod, and she lost a lot of blood. Three days later, she was still trying to get her strength back.

Victoria had fallen asleep but woke up when she sensed someone moving around her. She smiled to see her oldest son quietly walking around the room, gently rocking the baby in his arms. Watching him now, smiling at the baby, Victoria couldn't help but smile, too. He looked so natural, acting the father. It might only be a few years before he had one of his own. Victoria had considered getting one of the women from church in to help out, but Jarrod said he could keep up with school work even if he stayed home for a few days, and he wanted to help in his father's place. Victoria couldn't refuse him. Jarrod was 14 now, getting tall, his voice deepening fast. He was growing up, and he seemed to want the experience of helping out with the new baby.

Jarrod noticed his mother was awake. "I'm sorry," he said. "I heard the baby cry and thought I might quiet her down before she woke you up." He moved to put Audra back into her mother's arms.

Victoria waved him off. "Not yet. I like watching you hold her."

Jarrod chuckled. "I'm a bit better at it now than I was with Nick. Being ten years older makes a big difference. How are you feeling? Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes, I did. When does the doctor come again? I might like to get up and around before too much longer."

"He said he'd be here this afternoon," Jarrod said and rocked Audra in his arms. And smiled down at her. "And we got word back from our telegram to Father in San Francisco. We were right, he was offshore for the past few days, went out to that ship of rice that was hung up and just got back. He should be here on the evening train."

Victoria felt relief wash through her. "Oh, that's wonderful. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees he has a daughter. We had been hoping Nick would be a girl."

Jarrod laughed softly. "I can't begin to imagine Nick as a girl."

Audra started to squeak and wriggle. Victoria reached for her. "Let me have her. She might be hungry."

Jarrod lifted the baby into his mother's arms. "I'll change her if that's what she needs."

Victoria did a quick check and noted the baby's lips smacking. "No, she's hungry."

"Are you?" Jarrod asked. "I'll go get you a bit of that chicken soup Silas made."

"Oh, that would be wonderful. Bring it in about half an hour, would you?"

Jarrod headed for the door. "Consider it done, Lovely Lady."

Victoria smiled as he went out. Jarrod had given her that nickname of his fairly recently. He really wasn't a kid anymore – he was turning into a genuine young man. And a fine one at that.

Jarrod headed downstairs and ran into Nick coming in the front door. It being a Saturday, ten-year-old Nick had been out on the range with the foreman McColl. The boy hadn't started a serious growth spurt yet and still had trouble reaching the stirrups, but he was a good rider nonetheless and it was branding time. Nick loved branding time. He loved cutting the calves out of the herd. So why was he coming in so early?

"Is everything all right?" Jarrod asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Nick said. "McColl just told me to come in and check on Mother and you to see if you needed me for anything."

"Mother just woke up from a nap, and the doctor should be here in an hour or two," Jarrod said. "I'll take her up some chicken soup in a while. I know better than to ask if you're hungry."

"I want more than chicken soup," Nick said.

"Me, too," Jarrod said. "Let's go see what else Silas has cooked up."

They headed to the kitchen together, the scent of the chicken soup overwhelming anything else, but they immediately saw Silas had a plate of roast beef sandwiches set out on the table, a bowl of apples beside it. "Milk, boys?" he asked.

"Please," Jarrod said. "I'll take some soup up to Mother in a half an hour or so."

The boys sat down and Silas poured them milk as they dug into the food. "How is your mother this morning, Mr. Jarrod?" Silas asked.

"Tired, but doing fine," Jarrod said. "She's had a nap. She's starting to get anxious to get up and around."

"Not surprising. And how is that beautiful baby girl?"

"Beautiful," Jarrod said with a smile.

"I hope you boys are gonna like having a sister."

"I don't know," Nick said. "I don't know how to act around girls."

"Oh, she'll teach you how to act," Silas said with a laugh. "She'll wrap you around that little finger of hers before the week is out."

"I think she's got Jarrod already," Nick grinned.

"She is awful cute," Jarrod said.

They heard a knock at the front door, and Silas went to answer it. Jarrod and Nick each finished off a sandwich and reached for another. "Can I go back out to the branding after I eat?" Nick asked.

"You can go back out, we're all right," Jarrod said. "We got a telegram from Father. He'll be back on the evening train."

Silas came back in shortly, saying, "Mr. Jarrod, the sheriff is here to see you."

"Sheriff?" Jarrod asked, surprised.

"I think you best go talk to him," Silas said.

Nick kept eating, but Jarrod saw something in Silas's eyes he didn't like. Jarrod got up and went out to the foyer quickly, where he found the sheriff, a tall grizzled man named Malachi Shane, standing awkwardly, his hat in his hands. "Jarrod – " he said. "I'm afraid you're the one I'm gonna have to talk to about this. Silas says your mother isn't up and around yet."

"Not yet," Jarrod said. "Is there a problem?"

The sheriff nodded. "I just got word from the railroad. They've had a derailment between Sacramento and San Francisco."

Jarrod went cold. That was the first leg of his father's trip home.

"They have injuries," the sheriff said.

Jarrod's head began to spin. "Is Father among them?"

"I don't know, but it was the first class car that took the worst of it."

Jarrod's breath began to leave him. "That would be Father's car," came out. Thoughts began to spin in his head like crazy – thoughts like he wanted to go there, but his mother needed him, and Nick was too young to take care of either situation on his own. And their mother – how was he going to tell her this?

"Listen, son," Sheriff Shane said, "I want you to know I wired the railroad in Sacramento personally. There are several people on that train who expected to end up here in Stockton, and I've told the railroad we need to know as soon as possible who's been hurt in this accident, if any of our people are. Regardless, your father won't be home tonight because trains aren't running, but I'll find out as fast as I can whether he's been hurt. For now, I think you'd better just stay put, take care of your family. I'll talk to your mother if you'd like."

"No," Jarrod said quickly. "I'd rather we had more information before we talk to her about any injuries. If Father is all right, there's no point in frightening her, or Nick. Have you told any of this to Silas?"

"Just about the derailment and that your father wouldn't be coming in, nothing about possible injuries," the sheriff said.

Jarrod nodded. "Let's not tell anybody yet, all right? I'll talk to Mother and Nick. You let me know as soon as you know if Father's been hurt or not, please? It shouldn't be too long, should it?"

"I'm hoping to have some word when I get back to town, but I don't know for sure."

Jarrod nodded. "i think we'll wait a while, just in case there's nothing to worry about."

The sheriff put his hand on Jarrod's shoulder and could tell he was trembling. "I know this is a nasty load for a boy your age, but I know you, son. You're up to it, or I wouldn't have talked to you about it just yet. But word is starting to get around. I thought I'd better tell you before somebody else picked it up in town and brought it out here."

"The men are branding today," Jarrod said. "It's not likely anybody's in town, but thank you for telling me. The doctor is supposed to come out today to see Mother. Does he know what's going on?"

"Yes, he knows, all of it," the sheriff said. "He knows I'm talking to you too, but I'll make sure he knows you're not telling Victoria or Nick about possible injuries yet."

Jarrod nodded. "Thanks." And then he stood there, looking confused, looking worried.

The sheriff gave his shoulder a squeeze and then let go. "I'll get back to town. As soon as I know anything more, I'll let you know."

Jarrod nodded and said, "Thanks," again.

The sheriff left, and Jarrod was left standing in the foyer. He didn't wonder what to do – he knew what to do. Just tell them Father would be delayed, that was all. But for now, he'd have to carry the thought that his father might have been injured all by himself, and there wasn't a thing he could do for his father. There was too much for him to do here.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jarrod went back into the kitchen, sat down at his food again and said, "Father won't make it in tonight after all. The sheriff got word there's trouble on the track between San Francisco and Sacramento."

"What kind of trouble?" Nick asked.

Jarrod hesitated but said, "Derailment."

"Does that mean the train ran off the track?" Nick asked, looking alarmed.

"No, not necessarily," Jarrod said. "It just means enough of some train is out of place that it's blocking everything up."

Nick looked more soothed. "Mother won't be happy."

"No," Jarrod said, "but you can still go back out to the branding. I'll look after Mother and the baby."

"I'll help you all I can, Mr. Jarrod," Silas said.

"Thank you, Silas," Jarrod said, and tried to keep his worry as light as possible.

Nick was finished, grabbed an apple and scampered up. "I'll go back out and see you later," he said and ran out of the room.

Silas asked, "Would you like more milk, Mr. Jarrod?" as he cleared Nick's dishes.

"No, thank you," Jarrod said.

"Don't you worry, a little derail ain't gonna hold things up for long."

Jarrod gave half a smile and made up an excuse for the concerned look on his face. "I just know Father coming home would help Mother feel a lot better. I wish he wasn't getting delayed."

"He'll probably be home tomorrow," Silas said.

In a way, Jarrod wished Silas knew the whole story, that Tom Barkley might have been injured in the derailment. It would have been easier to have someone share the weight of that knowledge with him, but then why worry Silas too? Why worry anyone else when Tom might be perfectly all right?

Silas said, "With the doctor coming in, it'll help Mrs. Barkley, too."

"Yes," Jarrod said, and thought that maybe there was a way the doctor could find out something about the injured on the train, or better yet find out that his father wasn't injured at all. Jarrod decided to put some hope into that, and he finished his sandwich.

Jarrod saved his apple for later, and as soon as Silas had a tray ready, Jarrod took some soup up to his mother. Victoria had raised herself up more in the bed, the baby lying beside her now and Victoria keeping her steady with a hand. "Ah!" Victoria said as Jarrod brought the tray in.

Jarrod smiled and set the tray down on the dresser before coming over to the bed. Victoria let him lift Audra out of the bed as he said, "We can't risk the baby being baptized with chicken soup. I'll put her in the cradle."

Jarrod cuddled her a little first and kissed her forehead. Audra gurgled a little, and then Jarrod laid her in the cradle and fetched the lunch tray for his mother. He put it down onto her lap. "Thank you, darling," Victoria said. "I really am hungry now."

"That's good," Jarrod said. "Now, Mother, I have to tell you something. I know I said Father should be here by this evening, but the sheriff came by and said there had been trouble on the railroad line between San Francisco and Sacramento. So Father won't be able to make it home tonight."

"Oh," Victoria said, disappointed. "I hope he can make it by tomorrow." But she only paused for a moment before lifting her spoon and taking some soup.

Jarrod breathed easier. Apparently, she was not going to ask any more questions.

Jarrod stayed with her, chatting idly, rocking the cradle a bit, until she finished her soup and rested back again, saying, "That was delicious. Did you eat?"

"Yes, Nick came in and we both had a couple sandwiches," Jarrod said, lifting the tray up again. "Now, you get some more rest until the doctor gets here. Nick's gone back out into the field, so he won't be tearing up the house on us. Do you want the baby beside you again?"

"No, I don't think so. If she cries, I think I can get up enough to lift her again."

"I'll check on you again in a while," Jarrod said, "and I'll be listening in case she cries."

Victoria suddenly chuckled and shook her head.

"What?" Jarrod asked.

"You're so solicitous," Victoria said. "Even your father didn't give me this much attention when Nick was born."

"Father was busy running a ranch," Jarrod said. "I'm just a school kid with a day off."

"You could have gone out and worked the branding with your brother."

Jarrod shook his head. "No, I couldn't. You need me more."

Jarrod put the tray down on the dresser again, came back and kissed his mother on the forehead. As he did, he tried very hard to keep his heartbreak to himself. What if his father was hurt, or even dead? How was he ever going to tell his mother that? How was he going to keep his worry to himself until he found out what was going on?

Well, at least the doctor was coming. At least he wouldn't have to keep the secret from the doctor.

"I love you, Jarrod," Victoria said and closed her eyes to rest.

"I love you, too, Mother," Jarrod said, retrieved the tray and quietly went out.

XXXXXXXX

Jarrod met the doctor at the door about an hour later and let him in. "How's your mother today?" the doctor asked first thing, looking around.

Jarrod suspected he was looking to make sure the two of them were alone. "She's anxious to get out of bed," Jarrod said quietly. "Doctor, the sheriff came and told me about the railroad accident."

"I know, he told me he did," the doctor said just as quietly. "He said you weren't telling anyone else that there might be injuries."

"Not until we know about Father one way or the other," Jarrod said. "Have you heard anything?"

"No, I haven't," the doctor said.

"Do you know exactly where the accident happened?"

"Just east of Davisville*," the doctor said.

Jarrod wasn't exactly sure where that was, but he knew it was near Sacramento. "How can we find out more? Can we telegraph anyone in Davisville?"

"The sheriff is contacting people, but as you can imagine, they're pretty busy up there."

Jarrod had an unsettling thought. "I'd have thought Father would wire us if he was all right, so we wouldn't worry."

"Don't get too worked up that he hasn't," the doctor said. "The lines out of Davisville and Sacramento have been humming all morning, I understand. It doesn't mean your father is among the injured. It just means he can't get a telegram out, or he's already found another way of getting here."

Jarrod got his hopes up. It showed.

The doctor said, "When there's an accident like this, son, don't read anything into anything. Just wait for the real news to come in, and it will, soon. Now, let's pay attention to your mother."

Jarrod led the way upstairs and let the doctor into his mother's room. She beamed when she saw him, and he broke into a big smile. "Oh, doctor, I'm so glad you're here, I want to get out of this bed!" Victoria said right away.

Jarrod smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. He could hear his mother pleading her case halfway to the stairs. He took himself down to the living room and sat down to rest in the armchair near the fireplace that he was beginning to claim as his own. He almost felt like sleeping himself, and he did nod off for a moment, but suddenly he had a vision, a half-dream, that jolted him awake. He saw the house slipped off its foundation and his father lying dead on the broken verandah. No one else was around, just him and his dead father.

Jarrod flashed awake before anything else happened in the dream. His heart was pounding loudly, too loudly, and then he realized it was really the sound of the doctor coming back down the stairs. Jarrod got up to meet in him the foyer.

"Everyone is doing beautifully," the doctor said right away. "I told your mother she could get up and around, but not to take the stairs until tomorrow and to make sure she had some assistance getting up and down them for a few days after that. Hopefully, your father will be home to do the honors."

"Will you be sure to let me know if you hear anything about him?" Jarrod asked. "It's so hard, not being able to do anything."

"You are doing something. You're taking care of your mother and your baby sister and that wild man brother of yours. Now, just remember to take care of yourself, too."

Jarrod nodded. "I will. Is there anything else I should know about Mother or the baby?"

"No, son. Your mother will let you know if there is. Now, just you stop worrying. Everything is going to be all right by tomorrow."

*Davisville is now known as just Davis.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Victoria was feeling much better. She wanted to sit by the window and asked Jarrod to open it a bit so she could feel the fresh air. He did, but then he suggested, "Maybe you should let me take Audra out while you enjoy the air. It's cool today – it might be a bit much for her. I'll take her downstairs and show her around."

Victoria smiled. "All right. Put the rocker by the window for me before you go out."

Jarrod did as asked and helped his mother to the rocker. Then he scooped up the baby and took her out, saying, "I'll be right downstairs. Just call me if you want her back."

"You bring her up if she gets fussy," Victoria said.

Jarrod nodded. Victoria watched him cuddle his new little sister, and she felt such pride she thought she would burst. So attentive, so protective, so "take charge" was this elder son of hers. What a father he would be someday.

Jarrod carried the baby out, leaving the door open, and carefully went down the stairs, cooing to Audra, talking to her, taking her around the living room and showing her the photographs of the family. "This is me when I was ten, and the other boy in the picture is your brother Nick. You'll be seeing a lot more of him, I promise." And then he came to the photo of his mother and father, taken at the same time since they never had a proper wedding photo taken. "And you already know your mother – but this man is your father, our father."

Jarrod's heart clenched. He didn't know where his father was, whether he was trying to find his way home or was stuck in Davisville or whether he was hurt or not. He was suddenly frightened that this little sister of his would never meet their father.

"No," he said out loud to himself, shaking his head.

Then he remembered something else, a time about six years earlier when his father went on a business trip to one of the mines and disappeared for a time. Jarrod hadn't been very old then – maybe seven or eight. He didn't understand everything, but something told him that all was not well between his parents. He remembered being afraid that his father would not be coming back, and the more time that went by that he was gone, the more afraid Jarrod had been. He wasn't old enough then to know his thoughts were irrational, that his father would never abandon his family or the ranch he was building up. He was just scared.

He was old enough now to be thinking rationally. Wherever his father was, he wasn't staying away because his parents had quarreled, and one way or another he was trying to get home. Rational thinking calmed Jarrod's heart, and led him to thinking about how he could help his father when he couldn't leave his mother or his new sister. Rational thinking led him to a good conclusion.

"You know what, Audra?" he said to his baby sister. "I'm not nearly as dumb as I used to be."

Audra wriggled and mewed almost like a kitten.

"And I can tell you need changing. Come along, little one. It's back upstairs to the bathroom for you."

XXXXXXXX

The sheriff did not come by before Nick, McColl and the rest of the men came in from the range. Jarrod had taken Audra back to her mother and was hustling out of the house as Nick was hustling in. "Where you going?" Nick asked.

"I want to talk to McColl," Jarrod said and kept heading for the stable yard.

"About me?"

"No, not about you! Go clean up!"

Nick went into the house, satisfied that if Jarrod's talk with McColl was not about him then he wasn't interested. Jarrod found McColl preparing to unsaddle his horse in the yard and hurried up to him.

"Mr. McColl, I want to talk to you," Jarrod said.

"Sure, Jarrod, go ahead," McColl said.

Jarrod nodded toward a private place at the other end of the bunkhouse. "Privately."

McColl hitched his horse to the corral rail and followed Jarrod over to a spot no one was near, wondering what this was all about.

Jarrod spoke quickly. "The sheriff came by. Father's train derailed near Davisville."

McColl almost went white. "What?"

"This morning," Jarrod said. "He didn't know if Father was injured, but it was the car father was in that derailed."

"Do you want me to go up there?" McColll asked.

Jarrod nodded. "Talk to the sheriff in Stockton first, see if he knows anything more. Maybe Father's all right and he's just stranded, or maybe he's finding some other way home."

"Does your mother know about this?"

"No, I'm the only one who knows. Mother just thinks he's been delayed by some trouble on the line."

"I'll round up a couple men and we'll head to town now."

"No, get something quick to eat first. If you have to ride all night, Mr. McColl – "

McColl nodded. "Then we'll ride all night. You keep your head about you, Jarrod. You got people depending on you here. How is your mother today?"

Jarrod said, "Up and around and feeling much better. The doctor says she can come downstairs tomorrow if someone is there to help her. I'll be there to help her."

McColl actually found cause to smile. Jarrod did have his head about him, very much about him. McColl was pleased. "Don't worry, Jarrod. We'll come right back from Stockton if there's news there and there's nothing to worry about, and if we have to go on to Davisville, I'll wire you from there, no matter what."

"Thank you, Mr. McColl."

McColl gave Jarrod a slap on the arm and hurried back to his horse.

Jarrod took a breath that settled his soul a bit. Now, at least, he had someone out looking for his father, someone who would find out what was happening. Maybe he couldn't go himself, but it was better to let McColl take care of this anyway. He could always trust McColl.

Jarrod went back into the house, planning to head upstairs to see what his mother needed before he made sure he and Nick were fed. Then he knew he'd have to ride herd on his younger brother to get him to settle in for a good night's sleep, and all while keeping his worries about his Father to himself.

XXXXXXXX

It was just after dinner that the sheriff came back. Jarrod and Nick were together in the living room when Silas let the sheriff in, and Jarrod's first thought was on how to get Nick out of there so he could talk to the sheriff candidly. But Nick wouldn't go. He liked the sheriff – the sheriff always had newsy information and Nick liked hearing it. This time, the sheriff looked uneasily at Nick, but then he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Jarrod, I don't have any more information than I had this morning," the sheriff said. "The track is still blocked and we're still trying to find out what happened and – what's going on."

Jarrod knew that the sheriff was trying to avoid mentioning injuries while still telling him there was no further news. Jarrod hadn't told Nick that he sent McColl off to check on things, but he knew he would have to bring it up now. "I had McColl come in to see you and told him to go on up to Davisville if you didn't know any more," Jarrod said.

Sheriff Shane nodded. "I saw him and he went on to Davisville. Hopefully, we'll know more in the morning."

"You sent McColl to go find Father?" Nick asked.

Jarrod nodded and said, "Just in case he needs help getting home." He still wasn't ready to say anything about injuries. He still wanted to know whether their father was injured or not before he told Nick or their mother or even Silas about the possibility.

The sheriff understood. "I just wanted you to know what I knew and that McColl was heading on to Davisville."

The sheriff went out then, and Jarrod was left with a perplexed looking Nick. Jarrod could see his younger brother trying to put this all together. "Hasn't Father tried to telegraph us?" Nick finally asked.

Jarrod shook his head. "The telegraph lines are all tied up, so he probably hasn't been able to get through."

Nick looked even more quizzical. "If the telegraph lines are all tied up, then this was a pretty bad accident, wasn't it?"

"I don't know how bad," Jarrod said. "That's why I asked McColl to go up. It might be pointless – Father may be trying to get home some other way – but just in case I didn't want Mother to worry. And she doesn't know about anything more than Father is delayed, so don't you say anything at all except he's not here yet."

"All right," Nick said. But he looked worried.

And that worried Jarrod. "Get that sad look off your face. We don't have any reason to think Father's been hurt or anything. It's just that nobody is going anywhere right now. He'll probably be home tomorrow. There's no need to worry Mother."

"Worry Mother about what?"

Her voice came from the landing at the top of the stairs. Victoria was up, staring down at them. The look on her face was not a happy one.

"Tell me what's going on, boys."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jarrod sighed. Why did he ever think he could keep this from his mother? She had an uncanny way of figuring out when something was up, and she had ears that could pick up anything said in the house. Jarrod headed upstairs to her and took her by the arm. "Let's go back to your room and talk."

Victoria looked down at her younger son. "Come on up here, Nick."

Nick climbed upstairs and followed his mother and brother back to her room. Jarrod helped Victoria back to bed, and as Audra started to cry he lifted her out of the cradle. "Can I hold her?" Nick asked.

Jarrod could tell Nick wanted to be of some kind of help. Jarrod gave the baby to him, saying, "Make sure you support her head with your hand, like this."

Nick took her into his arms. She settled down right away.

"Go sit in the rocker," Jarrod said. "Rock a little bit and it'll help her feel better."

Nick did as he was told, a little awkwardly – he'd never rocked a baby before. But he rocked softly and then just listened.

Jarrod sat down on the bed beside his mother and took her hands. "The sheriff says the problem on the railroad line was a derailment this morning outside of Sacramento, but he hasn't been able to learn how bad it was or whether Father was injured. All he knows is that everything is tied up and so are the telegraph lines, so I asked McColl to take a couple men and go up there to see what he could find out. They left about three hours ago."

Victoria listened, calmly, even though she was frightened. "Is that all there is to it?" she asked.

Jarrod said, "Yes, so far. I didn't tell you all of it because I didn't want you to worry needlessly. Father probably couldn't get through to us with the telegraph lines tied up, or he may just be finding another way home. We don't have any word that he's been hurt. We just don't know where he is right now."

"You should have told me everything to begin with," Victoria said.

"Oh, Mother, how could I?" Jarrod said. "You've been so weak and Audra is so new and needs you so much. How could I worry you when there probably isn't anything to be worried about?"

"You're 14 years old," Victoria said. "I am still your mother, as well as Audra's and Nick's, and it's my job to help you deal with something like this. It's not your job to help me deal."

"No, Mother, you're wrong, it is," Jarrod said. "I'm not a little kid anymore. When Father isn't here, it is my job to help you deal, and right now, you have enough to deal with."

Audra began to squirm and cry some more, and Nick looked uncomfortable trying to hold her still. Jarrod got up, went to the rocker, and lifted the baby from him. He lifted her up to his shoulder, supporting her head, patting her back, and he brought her back to Victoria. Carefully, he put Audra into his mother's arms.

"Here's your job right now," he said. "Let me worry about Father, if there turns out to be anything to worry about. I'm handling it fine. By morning, we'll probably know a lot more."

Victoria looked softly at her oldest, and despite the worry growing inside of her, she was calmed by those big blue eyes of his. You could already read his soul in those eyes, and it was a good soul, a caring soul, a soul that was ready to carry weight if it had to with no complaint. She touched his cheek. "You're right. You're not a kid anymore – you're a young man."

"So am I," Nick popped in.

Victoria smiled at him. "You're a younger man. You're still going to do whatever your brother tells you to, and you're not to take on the same kind of responsibilities as he is. YOU are not to keep any secrets at all from me. And YOU – " She turned to Jarrod. "Thank you for trying to carry the load and ease my mind, but you don't have to do it alone. We'll carry it together – " She looked at Nick. "All of us."

Audra whimpered a little bit.

"You, too, when you're ready," Victoria said.

"Mother," Jarrod said, "everything is probably all right, and McColl will be there to handle it if anything is wrong."

"You made a wise decision sending him off," Victoria said. "He's a good man and he's taken care of your father more than once over the years. Now, you boys get on downstairs and do homework if you have any to do. I'm going to feed the baby."

Jarrod got up from the bed and Nick from the rocking chair. "I'll leave the door open. You can call if you need us."

Jarrod gave his mother a kiss on the side of her head, and Nick came over and did the same on the other side. "You're good sons," Victoria said. "Now go on while I take care of your sister."

Jarrod and Nick went out quietly, but once at the bottom of the stairs, Nick asked, "Do you really think Father's all right?"

"I don't know," Jarrod said, "but whatever he is, he'll be better when McColl finds him. Maybe we'll know more – "

The front door suddenly opened, and in walked Tom Barkley, looking tired but relieved. His only injury seemed to be treated by a little patch of bandage on his forehead.

"Father!" Nick yelled and ran to him, Jarrod right behind him.

"We were worried about you," Jarrod said. "I sent McColl after you."

"Yes, I know, I ran into him on the road about an hour ago," Tom Barkley said, hugging his sons. "After the train derailed, I rented a horse and hurried on down here, but it took all day to do it. Where's your mother?"

"Upstairs," Jarrod said, "nursing the baby."

Tom Barkley broke into a smile. "You boys have a sister, I hear."

"She's cute," Jarrod said.

Tom headed up the stairs, saying, "Ask Silas to put some dinner together for me. I'll be down as soon as I say hello to my new daughter."

Jarrod and Nick hurried into the kitchen as Tom hurried up the stairs. Victoria had heard his voice and was calling him even as he came into the room. In a moment, he was bending beside her and kissing her, and she was kissing him.

"You're hurt," Victoria said, looking at his bandage.

"It's nothing. I'm dirty from the road, though," he said. "I don't want to touch you or the baby until I clean up, but let me have a look at this little lady."

Victoria unlatched Audra from her breast. Audra didn't like that much, making a face and squirming. Tom and Victoria both laughed. "She's Nick all over when it comes to eating," Victoria said. "She doesn't like to be interrupted."

"She's beautiful," Tom said. "I'm sorry I worried you but I couldn't get a wire through."

"I wasn't worried until five minutes ago," Victoria said. "That elder son of yours kept everything to himself all day so Nick and I wouldn't worry."

"So McColl told me," Tom said.

"And he's been caring for the baby ever since she got here. I haven't been strong enough until today to even get out of bed."

"We'll get you back up on your feet soon, and I'm not going anywhere for a while. I want to be here with my wife and my children and especially my new little girl."

Victoria brought Audra back to nursing, which settled her down. "Jarrod's turning into a man in a hurry, Tom," Victoria said.

"I know," Tom said. "He's handled all this pretty well – you, Nick, the baby, me having trouble getting here, the railroad accident. You know, in a way it hurts to watch them grow up so fast, but it feels terrific, too."

"We have decisions to make about Jarrod's future in particular," Victoria said. "In a few years he'll be ready to start living his own life – even having his own children."

"We'll work on that," Tom said. "For now, I just want to be with my wife and my daughter." He smiled at the baby. "My daughter."

They kissed again. "I'm glad you're home," Victoria said.

Tom said, "Me too."

XXXXXXXXX

Tom had some food before he went to the wc for a bath and a good clean-up. While he did, Jarrod went to his mother's room again to see if she needed anything, but she had drifted off to sleep. By now it was well past nine and things were winding down, happily now that Tom was home safely, but Audra wasn't ready to wind down. She was fidgeting so much the cradle was rocking, and she was making little mewling sounds that threatened to get louder. Jarrod picked her up, kissed her forehead, cradled her in his arms and gently walked her about the room.

"I wish I could tell you life as a Barkley wasn't going to be as hard as it was today, Audra," Jarrod said quietly, "but around this house, you're in for a wild ride now and then. Things have worked out though. Father is home, and he's already crazy about you. Nick got to rock you today too and he's pretty pleased with himself about that. Mother is resting, and for a little while now you're mine."

He sang to her softly – a lullaby he made up out of his own poem – _Hush little baby don't you cry – you'll be a Barkley by and by – Mother and Father and Jarrod and Nick – you'll have us wrapped around your finger quick._

He laughed softly at his bad poetry and kissed the baby again before he took her to the window, saying, "Take a look at the stars, Audra. When you're old enough, we'll find yours together, you and me."

Audra cooed like a little bird. Jarrod kissed her again and rested her on his shoulder. His mother still slept comfortably, and he could hear his father singing in the bathtub. Wherever Nick was, he was quiet and apparently settled.

The day had worked out, and all was peaceful and well. Jarrod felt like he could relax now. He sat down in the rocking chair by the window and rocked his baby sister to sleep.

The End


End file.
